Translation
Declaration of Claes van Elslandt and others that they saw the woman residing on Old Jan's plantation drive the Company's cattle into the swamp
[ Before me ], Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary [ of New ] Netherland, [ appeared ] Claes van Elslandt, aged 44 years, Cosyn Gerritsen, aged 36 years, and Gerrit Jacobsen, aged 19 years, who at the request of the honorable fiscal, Van [ der ] Hoykens, attest, testify and declare, in place and with promise of a solemn oath if necessary and required, that it is true and truthful that they, the deponents, having been sent by the honorable director to find the cattle belonging to the Company and others, came to the plantation of Old Jan by the swamp, where they saw the woman residing on Old Jan’s plantation drive the cattle with a stick into the said swamp, so that the cattle were in it up to their backs, but as the cattle were strong and well in flesh, they finally got through the swamp. All of which the deponents declare to be true and truthful. Done the [blank] of November anno 1643, in Fort Amsterdam, New Netherland.